Penn State Ranks Among Top Teach for America Contributors

Penn State received recognition for its public service yet again, this time for its contribution to Teach For America — an educational organization that connects graduating seniors and professionals with high-need schools. In an effort to educate and inspire children from low-income areas, Teach For America enlists, develops, and mobilizes volunteers from all academic backgrounds.

Penn State ranked in the top 10 for the ninth time in a row. This year, 30 alumni will join the 50,000 “corps members” of Teach For America and will impact 53 regions across 36 states.

The organization was founded in 1990 to combat the inherent problems in the educational system that poverty facilitates. To do this, members enlist for a two-year period of time in which they will focus on low-income areas in urban and rural communities. According to statistics on Teach For America’s website, children living in poverty are half as likely to graduate high school and one-tenth as likely to graduate college compared to their wealthier counterparts.

“These statistics are not a reflection of our children’s potential. Kids growing up in poverty can and do achieve at the highest levels. Instead, these statistics reflect the systemic lack of equity for kids in low-income communities,” the website reads.

The group includes people with backgrounds ranging from union leaders to elected officials. In the past, 84 percent of Penn State alumni entering Teach For America have gone on to work in roles impacting education or low-income communities. This year, more than half of incoming corps members are people of color, half come from low-income backgrounds and one-in-three are the first in their families to graduate from college.